Black Swan: Blu-Ray & Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM
The difference between being stalked and losing your mind is a narrow line that Nina (Natalia Portman) navigates in Black Swan as she attains that which she always wanted, a starring role in the premiere ballet performance of Swan Lake. Faced with the challenge of dancing a role of two polar opposite parts, she finds herself tailormade for one and distraught over the challenges of the other. The role of the Black Swan opens new worlds to Nina as she finds herself challenged by the role, by the new addition Lily (Mila Kunis) to the company, and by her own destructive personality. Trysts both imagined and real, the pushing of a director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) who expects perfection in a myriad of ways, and an overprotective mother (Barbara Hershey) all contribute to the slow breakdown of a truly little girl, both physically and mentally. Finally, Nina attains all that she had dreamed of, but finds her self wondering if this is what she truly wanted, even as she dances the perfect performance.
JAMS Ink on Black Swan
The film is truly beautiful in the ballet sense as the perfection of timing and movement meld with the hazards of straining oneself for physical perfection. Portman and Kunis both come off well as ballet trained dancers and physically look over thin and unhealthy but it fits the ballet company. The ballet scenes come off elegant and sleek as well as professional so that the dance scenes in the movie do not come off as unprofessional or amateurish in that way.
The movie itself comes off a bit on the campy and overdone side. Natalie Portman who won an Oscar for her performance comes off as a girl with a number of issues, professional, mentally, physically, emotionally, and whatever else you could think of. Her train wreck of a life makes the movie what it was but it was hard for me to watch someone succeed at all costs, even at the loss of her sanity. Her drive is to be commended, but the balance in her life is all but nonexistent through her own choices and the guiding hand of her mother, another former ballerina. It seems that the imperfect life was what made her the target of the directors machinations and also eventually led to the dissolution of her world, sanity, dreams, and all else in between.
I do not know why, but every time Vincent Cassel was on screen, I saw him as the thief from Ocean’s 12. I half expected him to attempt to steal away on parachuting wings during the ballet. Maybe that would have peaked my interest more.
The Blu-ray does lend itself well to this film, giving a sharpness to the film throughout the varying variety of scenes such as the elegant dances to the grainy dark aspects of the film to the personal moments of the film. The enhancement that comes with the Blu-ray gives scenes that are intensely enhanced, even if the viewer really may not want them to be (plucking a feather out of one’s back does not need to be done in ultra high definition. Trust me.)
EXTRAS
A large number of extras are included to make you spend even more time with this movie if you so desire. From the Metamorposis and its behind the scenes look and interviews all around to the FoxMovieChannel Presents character looks with Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel, and the director Darren Aronofsky as they give a quick insight into their roles and Darren shares a little on his side of the camera, the extras enhance the film experience overall. A couple other conversations and profiles finish off the bevy of extras to enhance your experience with this Black Swan thriller.
BLACK SWAN Blu-ray Disc Features:
• Metamorphosis: A Three-Part Series
o A behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process from Darren Aronofsky’s visionary directing, to the physically-demanding acting, to the stunning special effects.
• Behind the Curtain
o An inside look at the film’s costume and production design.
• Ten Years in the Making
o Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky discuss their creative journey, from “preparing for the role” to “dancing with the camera.”
• Cast Profiles – Roles of a Lifetime
o Presented by Fox Movie Channel, the stars reflect on the their challenging and rewarding characters
Crack some bones and lose your mind with the release of Black Swan on Blu-ray and DVD on March 29, 2011. Grab a copy and dance the night away in this haunting epic.
Black Swan Blu-Ray:
Street Date: March 29, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English and Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 233 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes
Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at http://jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.
